I'm having some troubles to get video (not monitor output, but PAL resolution video) from an Iris CG3 (genlock option). I think I've got a complete set:

* The CG3 card (a 6U VME card that goes into the VME slot of the Personal Iris)* A short BNC cable to connect the CG3 to the Iris genlock clock BNC* A DB15 (?) cable to connect the Iris 'genlock option' connector to the CG3* A short cable to connect the RGB out of the graphics to the CG3* A new PROM for the GR1 board but my GR1 has a more recent PROM rev. still* 4 RAM (??) chips in an unopened static bag -- I'm clueless about these.* And a breakout box with a dozen or so BNC's and a cable to go to the CG3.

Everything is hooked up, the 4D/25 is running IRIX 4.0.5, and I have connected a video camera to the 'vid out' BNC of the breakout box.

The video doesn't synchronize. It looks a bit like a monitor that doesn't sync, so I'm assuming this is a similar problem. I've tried to 'setmon PAL' it (it's the PAL version), followed by stopgfx; startgfx. Something is happening, but the picture doesn't sync. gfxinfo tells me my graphics is still running at 1280x1026_60.

The BOB has component (RGB+sync) video out but I don't have anything to connect it to.

There are two knobs on the BOB marked 'HOR PH' and 'CSC PH', I assume they have something to do with phase control but I can't restore the picture by turning them.

The theory of the CG3 option is that it encodes the RGB out of the GR1 graphics into a composite or component separated video signal, and can genlock either this video or the graphics output (?) of the Iris to an external genlock source. But does it need a genlock source to work at all? Would that explain my lack of sync?

Oh, I've got a Broadcast Video option (BVO) in my PowerSeries 4D/440VGX. This does basically the same, and I've tested it with the same camera. It also adds genlock in/out the the 4D/440, but seems to work fine without an external genlock source.

I'm running out of options. Does anybody have any experience with this thing?

To accentuate the special identity of the IRIS 4D/70, Silicon Graphics' designers selected a new color palette. The machine's coating blends dark grey, raspberry and beige colors into a pleasing harmony. (IRIS 4D/70 Superworkstation Technical Report)

they [CG2] are a pain, mainly in thatthey don't put out bi-polar NTSC, which results in a grey-level shiftthat is quite objectionable, and the internal sync generator is so awfulas to be unusable without a time-base corrector.

/* * Optional CG2 GENLOCK board is installed. * * Mode 2: Internal sync generator is used. * * Note that the stability of the sync generator * on the GENLOCK board is *worse* than the sync * generator on the regular DE3 board. The GENLOCK * version "twitches" every second or so. * * Mode 3: Output is locked to incoming * NTSC composite video picture * for sync and chroma (on "REM IN" connector). * Color subcarrier is phase and amplitude locked to * incomming color burst. * The blue LSB has no effect on video overlay. * * Note that the generated composite NTSC output * (on "VID OUT" connector) is often a problem, * since it has a DC offset of +0.3V to the base * of the sync pulse, while other studio eqiupment * often expects the blanking level to be at * exactly 0.0V, with sync at -0.3V. * In this case, the black levels are ruined. * Also, the inboard encoder chip isn't very good. * Therefore, it is necessary to use an outboard * RS-170 to NTSC encoder to get useful results. */

Maybe it defaults to syncing to an external source and I need to tell it explicitly to use internal sync. I guess I'll have to load the compilers and check out the 4Dgifts. Right now I just (from a serial connection) set the resolution to PAL, and ran stopgfx; startgfx so the graphics console is at the login prompt.

AFAIK, CG2 and CG3 are the same, only CG2 is NTSC and CG3 is PAL.

To accentuate the special identity of the IRIS 4D/70, Silicon Graphics' designers selected a new color palette. The machine's coating blends dark grey, raspberry and beige colors into a pleasing harmony. (IRIS 4D/70 Superworkstation Technical Report)